GyroCheck using the UK Admiralty Nautical Almanac (NA)

1. Preparation:
- Choose the celestial body for observation (day sun; night moon or stars and planets; use a
starfinder for identification)
- have a stopwatch ready to finally determine the exact chronometer time in UTC
(errors of only a few seconds will lead to an avoidable error)
- install the azimuth bearing device in the stb or p wing

2. Take measurement of the selected celestial body, start the stopwatch and write down
following values
a) present chronometer time in UTC; when finished immediately stop the stopwatch
and subtract this time from the chronometer UTC time
b) GPS position
c) bearing to the celestial body
d) present gyro and magnetic course

3. Find the azimuth (=true bearing) of the celestial body for the chronometer time when the
bearing was carried out

Sun
Greenwich Hour Angle GHA Daily page at full hour UTC
+ Increment Incr Yellow page for minute and second
= Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

Declination 
+ Declination correction dcorr Given on daily page for the full hour.
Divide by 60 and multiply the result
by chronometer minute and second.
Southern declination is negative!
dcorr to be added or subtracted
depending on the direction of !
= Declination 

Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

+ Longitude est
= Local Hour Angle tE/W Calculated from West to East
From 0 to 180° = tW
From 180° to 360° = tE (360° - t)
Moon
Greenwich Hour Angle GHA Daily page at full hour UTC
+ Increment Incr Yellow page for minute and second
+ v correction vcorr Taken from daily page for the full
Hour. Divide by 60 and multiply
result by chronometer minute and
second
= Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

Declination 
+ Declination correction dcorr Given on daily page for the full hour.
Divide by 60 and multiply the result
by chronometer minute and second.
Southern declination is negative!
dcorr to be added or subtracted
depending on the direction of !
= Declination 

Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

+ Longitude est
= Local Hour Angle tE/W Calculated from West to East
From 0 to 180° = tW
From 180° to 360° = tE (360° - t)
Planets
Greenwich Hour Angle GHA Daily page at full hour UTC
+ Increment Incr Yellow page for minute and second
+ v correction vcorr Taken from end of daily page. Divide
by 60 and multiply result by
chronometer minute and second
= Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

Declination 
+ Declination correction dcorr Given on daily page for the full hour.
Divide by 60 and multiply the result
by chronometer minute and second.
Southern declination is negative!
dcorr to be added or subtracted
depending on the direction of !
= Declination 

Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

+ Longitude est
= Local Hour Angle tE/W Calculated from West to East
From 0 to 180° = tW
From 180° to 360° = tE (360° - t)
 Stars
Star Hour Angle SHA Daily page
Greenwich Hour Angle of Aries GHA Daily page
+ Increment of Aries Incr Yellow page for minute and second
= Greenwich Hour Angle GHA If GHA > 360° then GHA = 360°-GHA

Declination 

Greenwich Hour Angle GHA

+ Longitude est
= Local Hour Angle tE/W Calculated from West to East
From 0 to 180° = tW
From 180° to 360° = tE (360° - t)

4. Calculation

“Easy Way”:

A-Value: A – if tE/W < 90° A= -tan  / tan tE/W

A + if tE/W> 90°

B-Value: B + if  and  equal B = tan  / sin tE/W

B – if  and  unequal

C-Value: A+B

When calculating A-, B- and C-values pay attention to the algebraic signs (+ / - ) for  and 
but neglect them for tE/W!

Quadrant azimuth QAz arctan (1/C/cos  )

QAz equal to  if C-Value +
QAz unequal to  if C-Value –

Azimuth Az

sin t
Formula: arctan(Az)=
sin❑∗cos t−cos ¿ tan❑
 t < 180° und αAz positiv → Az = αAz + 180°

t < 180° und αAz negativ → Az = αAz + 360°

t > 180° und αAz positiv → Az = αAz

t > 180° und αAz negativ → Az = αAz + 180°

5. Gyro compass error

True bearing of celestial body Az

- Bearing taken by azimuth device Gyro
Gyro error Gyroerr If Err ≤ ±1°: Gyro compass in order

6. Magnetic compass error

Gyro course Cgyro

+ Gyro error Gyroerr
True course Ctrue
- Magnetic course Cmagn
Magnetic Error Magnerr
- Variation Var Taken from the chart for the present year
Deviation Dev

Compare calculated deviation with ship deviation table – if Δ ≤ ±2°, magnetic compass in order